Reviewed by: Lynne Durham
Review date: May 18, 2005

REVIEWER BIO
Name: Lynne Durham
Gender: Female
Height: 5' 10" (1.78 m)
Weight: 153 lb (69 kg)
Age: 43
Email: lynnedurham AT yahoo DOT com
Location: Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA

BACKPACKING EXPERIENCE
I am a backpacking novice -- my first trip was in 2002. I have hiked and car camped all of my life, mostly in the relative flatlands of the lower and upper peninsulas of Michigan, but also in areas east of the Continental Divide, such as South Dakota, New England, Kentucky, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, and more. In September, 2004 I did my first solo backpacking trip and in October, 2004 I did a single-day, rim-to-rim hike of the Grand Canyon. So far, all of my camping and backpacking has been 3-season, but I plan to expand to winter camping. I keep my pack weight to 25% of bodyweight or less but I always bring optional or comfort items. My other outdoor experience includes trail running and snowshoeing; I am a paddling, climbing and adventure racing novice.

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Item name	Sierra Designs Rock Creek Sleeping Bag
Manufacturer	Sierra Designs
Manufacturer's Web site	http://www.sierradesigns.com/
Year of manufacture	2005
MSRP	USD 189.95
Size	Women's Long
Manufactured	Made in China
Claimed temperature rating	35 degrees F (2 degrees C)
Zipper side	Right (only). No mention is made of the bag being mateable. However, I called Sierra Designs customer service and they said that the women's long bags are mateable with any Sierra Designs men's regular bags. It seems the men's all zip left, the women's all zip right. She also mentioned that the men's Osage was the male mate to this bag if I wanted to find one that had similar features.
Available sizes (per the Web site)	Women's Regular and Long (the men's version is called Osage)
Insulation	Powerfill 600-Fill Goose Down
Fill weight	18 oz (510 g)
Shell material	40D Polyester
Liner material	40D Polyester

WEIGHTS

Manufacturer claimed weight	2 lb 9 oz (1.18 kg)
Actual weight as received	2 lb 11.65 oz (1.24 kg) (as weighed on postal scale)
Stuff sack claimed weight	N/A
Stuff sack actual weight	2.05 oz (58 g)
Total stuffed weight (trail weight)	2 lb 13.7 oz (1.3 kg)

MEASUREMENTS

NOTE	These measurements should not be considered exact as I am estimating where to measure by simply looking at a diagram on their Web site
Claimed stuff size	8" x 18" (20 cm x 46 cm)
Actual stuff size	7.5" x 18" (19 cm x 46 cm)
Claimed shoulder girth	61" (155 cm)
Actual shoulder girth	60" (152 cm)
Claimed hip girth	60" (152 cm)
Actual hip girth	59" (159 cm)
Claimed footbox girth	43" (109 cm)
Actual footbox girth	42" (107 cm)
Claimed inside length	78" (198 cm)
Inside length (measured from inside bottom of footbox to inside top of hood)	76" (193 cm)

Care information (from the tag sewn on the inside of sleeping bag)
The tag gives information for both dry cleaning (only use dry cleaners who are experienced with down and will guarantee their work) and laundering. The laundering instructions include the following:
- Use soap only, not detergent...soap made specifically for down is recommended
- Do not wash in agitator-type machine
- Wash on gentle in water temperature recommended for the soap being used
- Rinse thoroughly to remove all soap
- Drip dry or tumble dry in cool dryer
- Do not use harsh detergents or bleach
- Do not iron

INFORMATION FROM THE WEB SITE
Sierra Designs' Adventure Series sleeping bags offer more features per dollar than anything else on the market. You'll find standard features such as our Snag-Free Zipper Track, a Chest Pocket for storing a watch or lip balm, Glow-in-the-Dark Zipper Pulls, and a Pillow Pocket (synthetic models only). The included Pad Locks keep the bag attached to your pad. Quality stitching, locking zippers, and of course a Draft Tube to block the breeze are included in the deal – all at a price that won't keep you up at night.

Great for: Backpacking, Camping, Travel

Features:
- Baffle Construction
- Chest Pocket
- Draft Tube
- Fleeced Lined Foot Box
- Glow-in-the-Dark Zipper Pulls
- Pad Locks
- Snag Free Zipper Tracks
- Tucked Stitching

I didn't understand the term "tucked stitching," but the site offers a definition:
- Constructed without an exposed seam to prevent snags and reduce wear and tear
- All seams are tucked and sewn from the inside

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
The bag arrived in its bright yellow, cotton storage bag, loosely packed in a brown shipping box. One end of the storage bag has a drawstring with a barrel-type cordlock. On the end of the bag opposite the drawstring, in silver ink, is the Sierra Designs logo, the name and size of the bag and its temperature rating...handy if one has multiple bags stored on a shelf. The bag itself is gray and blue and there is a full-color hang tag on the zipper. On the footbox end of the bag are two large-ish sewn-on tags, with required-by-law information. There is also a small sewn-on tag, conveying country of manufacture (China).

The hang tag copy is bilingual, English and French. The hang tag gives information about the Sierra Designs Adventure Series Women's sleeping bags (Rock Creek is a part of this series). The tag contains colorful lifestyle photos on the front, photos and short copy about each bag in the series inside and close-up shots with copy highlighting specific features of the bags. Additionally, there is a panel that offers a free 6-month subscription to Trails.com, courtesy of Sierra Designs.

The last inside panel of the hang tag features the Sierra Design warranty, which is a typical "materials and workmanship" warranty.

I've compared the bag as received to the bag as it is advertised on their Web site and I've found the bag to be as it is represented on their Web site.

EXAMINING THE BAG

Secret feature
Upon examination of the bag, I found a pleasant surprise. Although the Web site and hang tag had limited the availability of this feature to bags filled with Polarguard synthetic only, the bag is equipped with a zipper-closed chest pocket, handy for keeping a watch, lip balm, or similar items close at hand during the night. (I'd be tempted to keep my glasses there but I toss and turn too much!)

The shell
The 40D polyester shell is soft and silky feeling and it feels much more durable than the nylon taffeta which covers my current sleeping bag. One feather or piece of down was poking through at a seam.

The zipper
I unzipped the bag for the first time using the glow-in-the-dark zipper pull. In doing so, I found a silver, "corded" piece of material sewn in along the zipper. This prevents the zipper from getting caught in the thin polyester inside and works quite effectively -- I zipped and unzipped several times and it runs very smoothly, never getting caught in the shell or the draft tube.

The stuff sack
I had expected to find a stuff sack hanging from the zipper but did not, and wondered if the bag did not come with one. But I zipped down the full length and there zipped into the bottom zipper is the stuff sack. It feels like it is made of a lighter weight Cordura nylon material -- not as light as sil-nylon, but not as heavy as some sleeping bag stuff sacks. The stuff sack has a normal, cord drawstring and a barrel-type cordlock.

The construction
Close examination revealed tight, small stitches in all seams and baffle areas. Actually, one cannot "see" the stitches as they are sewn from the inside. The down feels well distributed, with no "clumpy" areas apparent. The Pad Locks are sewn to the bag and not removable.

The fleece footbox
Reaching into the footbox, I found soft, soft, soft fleece. This is a very nice feature to me. I find that sleeping bag shells tend to snag on dry or rough skin, and duct-tapped or bandaged toes -- a condition in which one would usually find my feet.

First experiences
Since it has arrived, the sleeping bag has been used every night in my home on the bed (we keep our bedroom around 60 degrees F [33 degrees C]). It has also been used in the field twice, in the woods in northern lower Michigan. Weather conditions in the field were cool and humid with light rain. Temperatures averaged around 48 degrees F (8 degrees C), and the bag was used inside of a solo tent with a lightweight foam pad underneath.

For the in-home tests, I snuggled down into the bag at bedtime. The girth of the bag seems comfortable and sufficient for my size. The hood offers plenty of room and easily "snugs up" around my face. However, despite the coolness of our bedroom, the sleeping bag was much too warm for my liking. Unzipped, however, it worked well as a quilt, allowing me to quickly and easily poke a leg or arm out from under it to cool off immediately.

In the field, the sleeping bag was quite comfortable. During the night, I unzipped the bag partially for extra ventilation because the bag was so toasty warm. It was easy to find the zipper pull in the dark (thanks to the glow-in-the-dark feature) and the zipper slid easily along its track.

The fleece footbox is soft and comfortable -- a treat on my bare feet!

During this weekend, I did not use the Pad Lock feature, and thus cannot comment on it at this time. I plan to make extensive use of this feature in the future to fully test its functionality.

Prior to being used in the tent, the sleeping bag had still only been stored in its storage bag as I was not backpacking on this weekend. Thus, I have not yet experienced how well it lofts after compression in its stuff sack.

TEST PLAN: LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
During the test period, the sleeping bag will see extensive use under a variety of spring, summer and fall conditions. I currently have several trips planned, including trips in Michigan, Kentucky, and Arizona. The bag may be subjected to:
- Hot, muggy, humid conditions
- Misty-light rain through thunderstorms
- Cool, dry evenings
- Late fall chill in northern climes, including temperatures as low as 35 degrees F (4 degrees C)

TEST PLAN: ACTIVITIES
This period will include at least 1 weekend backpacking trip along the North Country Trail, a long-weekend backpacking trip in the Mammoth Cave National Park area, a 4-5 day backpacking trip along Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and a couple of single-night camp-outs, usually associated with my traveling to a different area for a race. Additionally, the testing period may include a family car-camping adventure.

TEST PLAN: QUESTIONS
Bag size:
- Is the long size sufficient for my height?
- Does a "women's cut" bag fit over my nontraditional female shape? Is it too narrow in the shoulders, too wide for my hips?
- Is it too big for me? Does it bunch up?

Packing:
- Does the bag easily loft up again upon unpacking?
- Does it fit well in my weekend pack? Does it fit well in my multi-night pack? Does it fill well with my style of packing?

Comfort:
- The fleeced footbox sounds luxurious -- how is it in reality? Is it as warm and soft as it sounds? Will my toenails snag on it? How far up does the footbox fleece extend?
- What is the top temperature I can use this bag with and still feel comfortable?
- Does it work well with my silk liner? Does the fleece footbox affect this?
- How comfortable is the hood? Does it snug nicely around my face?
- Is the size sufficient that I don't feel overly constricted when I'm all zipped inside?
- Do I get easily twisted up in it? Am I able to side sleep or stomach sleep comfortably?

Performance:
- Is the bag true to its temperature rating? How low can the temperature go and I still feel comfortable?
- Is the baffling sufficient to prevent excessive down shifting?
- How do the pad locks work? Will they work with my foam pad? Will they work with my self-inflating pad?
- Is the zipper track truly snag free?
- How big is the chest pocket? Can I store a small light, small radio or my glasses in it?
- Does the zipper open at both bottom and top so I can wear it with my feet poking out and walk around camp?
- How easy is it to get in and out of for those middle-of-the-night tree waterings?
- How well does the bag hold up to wear?

Care:
- Does it hold odors, stains? Does it air out well?
- How well does it hold up following normal care instructions?

Durability:
- Does the polyester snag easily?
- Does the bag hold up well to repeated usage?

BENEFITS (so far)
- Zipper runs smoothly, doesn't get caught in the shell
- Zipped chest pocket bonus feature will come in handy!
- Fleece footbag is soft and comfy on my bare feet

LIMITATIONS (so far)
- None noticed yet

Thank you to Sierra Designs and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to evaluate this sleeping bag.

Read more reviews of Sierra Designs gear
Read more gear reviews by Lynne Durham

Initial Report

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